St. Landry democrat., 1887-08-27

his gourbi, or hut, with faggot of dry
sticks on his shoulders, and whilst taking
narrow path in the brushwood, found
himself suddenly thrown to the ground.
Looking up, he saw huge tail disap-
| pearing in the bushes. The animal had
dealt him blow with its terrible paw,
but fortunately the faggot had preserved
him from worse injury. The spring had
been quite without warning. The num-
Der of cattle, sheep, goats, &C, this
panther had devoured during the year
+, was almost incredible. | at once chose
my ambuscade, and at sunset dismissed
about score of Arabs, who kept repeat
ing to Nabi, we shall only find that
mans bones Tomorrow The spot Sc
| lected was a rise of ground above
wooded ravine, but the first night passed
uneventfully. At dawn my Arabs came.
much astonished to find me safe and
sound
"They could not offer me coffee
the tribe being too poor to possess
drink, served in dirty vessel, and little
calculated to restore man whose night
had been spent out of doors. Two or
refreshed me much more. | woke fresh
and nimble, and was chatting with my
hosts when a horseman galloped up to
say that a panther had that very morning
destroyed a horse, two oxen and COW
property of neighboring tribe. | immedi-
ately betook myself to the scene of these
events. The victims lay within ten to
fifty yards, and had evidently been killed
instantaneously and without any strug-
gle. All were in their prime. Only por-
tions of the flesh had been consumed,
nevertheless a hundred pounds or SO
forming the panther's breakfast. This
carnage had taken place between eight
and nine o'clock that morning. Near
this spot was a river, and somewhat fur
Their thicket, into which we could trace
the panther, it having retreated thither
to digest it's food. | ordered the horse
and oxen to be carried away, but what
remained of the COW to be left, and near
these remains | posted myself that night
1t was now eight clock, and the moon,
though not full, gave abundant light for
my purpose. | soon heard the panther
coming, uttering roars, which | knew
must belong to an animal strong and
yet past its prime. 1t approached the
remains of the COW shifting. | waited
to take aim till its head should be turned
to me; but, without touching the carrion,
it betook itself back from whence it
came. Immediately after a jackal ar
rived, attracted by the smell of the car
rion, and at once summoned its friends
to the feast A moment later | heard
the sound of fall and cry and few
minutes after the same noise some yards
off. Then there was complete stiffness
and darkness for the rest of the night.
when morning came the Arabs APP
peared. and we went in search of the |
jackals; both lay dead on the spots
from which the noise had come Now, l |
felt convinced that such a panther as |
this was not to be caught with the bait
of yesterdays feast, although the Arabs
again and again had asseverated the con-
trary. The fact is, they confused the
adult panther, always delicate feeder,
with other animals resembling 1.-THE
ounce, tiger, cat, &c. Once more, how
ever, I made the experiment, though | felt
sure it would prove failure, and at night
posted myself alone near the remains
of the COW. True enough, soon after
nightfall the panther made his appear
ance, shifting as before. began to think
that the Arabs were right, but no such
HAVING SllICu dt llS
without giving me time to take aim, it
as it had come l spent the
night in bewailing my credulity and
weakness. A little before dawn the
Arabs came to tell me that the panther
had carried off goat close by; that the
dogs had climbed to the roofs of the
gourbis, barking furiously; that the
had lighted fires, and all had
been in terrible commotion. This depre-
dation of the panther had been committed
before their very eyes. A third night
for the enemy, having this time
a live goat with me, but the panther came
no more. It had evidently abandoned
The spot. Ithen in the morning, on hands
and knees, forced my way into the dense
orushwood whittier the animal had re-
tired to digest its food. could trace its !